Weijun Zeng
Major: Genetics
Certificate in Computational Genetics
Graduation Year: 2023
How did you decide on your major?
I have been interested in Genetics since Grade 7, when I first was introduced to Biology. Since then, I was fascinated by the beauty of the nature of DNA. That’s why I chose Genetics as my major!
What did you like most about it?
One thing I would like to say about is the variety of courses you can learn as a Genetics Major Student. Choosing the Genetics major opened a gateway for me to explore and discover the things that I am really interested at, and that is what I like the most about it.
What is your current position, what do you, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Currently, I am a Lab Technician in Xing lab, Department of Genetics, under the guidance of Dr. Jinchuan Xing. One thing I enjoy the most about my work in the lab is the idea of computational genetics. Having the opportunity to become a Lab Technician in a Computational Genomics Lab really motivated me to self-reflect about my future career path.
What was your first job after Rutgers and how did you get it?
My work in the Xing lab is my first job. I got the position based on the collaborative project I worked on with Dr. Jinchuan Xing, and Dr. Devanshi Jain.
Looking back, what classes or experiences at Rutgers would you point to as contributing to your successes?
I would say the Bioinformatics and Computational Genetics, taught by Dr. Tara Matise really gives me a foundational understanding of what is it like to work in a Bioinformatics-based working environment. But also, there is a class called The History of Data, which I really enjoyed and gave me important historical understanding of data science and encourages me to get into the Bioinformatics field.
What advice do you have for our current Arts and Sciences students?
One piece of advice I want to share with current students is to explore as many possible courses as you can. Your undergraduate degree provides lot of opportunities to explore anything that comes to your mind. So don’t be afraid to talk to a professor, write emails, or go to the office hours. They are there to help!